Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Kitchen renovations and healthy bank accounts rarely go hand in hand. This is certainly true over at Project Dollhouse. The kitchen's layout is functional and the workspace is adequate, so the kitchen update is going to be purely cosmetic. The plan is to keep the existing cabinets and pretty them up with fresh paint and new hardware.

yes, this is the "before"

I also think there's room in there for a small kitchen island, and since the original cabinets are circa 1972, there's no going to Lowe's and buying matching cabinets for the island. No worries, there are lots of options for kitchen islands.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Just to refresh your memory

This is my latest project. It's circa 1972 French Provincial brick home that is getting mainly cosmetic updates on a tiny little budget! You can see more before photos here. Around here we refer to it as Project Dollhouse.

We've made a little progress!

This is the living and dining room combination we started with:

And now...

We created a cased opening to define each room and give the whole space some depth.

These next photos need a little explanation.

See that doorway we're looking through? That's a door that separated the master bathroom vanity area from the shower and water closet.

What we did in the "after" below, is remove that door and repurpose it to separate the Master Bathroom from the Master Bedroom. I don't have a photo of this shot "before". There was no door here, just a big opening looking directly into the master bathroom from the master bedroom, just like at Motel 6!

Yuck, all of this came out

Even this is an improvement!

Oh, and I went over to Merchants on Main this afternoon to do a little fluff at my space when I spotted this!

Lovely...Lucite...Vintage.... and there's a pair of them! Interested? Email me at thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com. and I'll fill you in on the details.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

With each week that passes, I become increasingly fascinated by this show. The big budgets, the bigger personalities, the demanding clients, the deadlines. What's not to love? Here are my observations so far...

1. Martin Lawrence Bullard is actually growing on me. After the first episode, I didn't think I could get past all the "Dahlings", "Deee lish uss" and the obnoxious name dropping. And then there was the apartment he put together for Sharon Osbourne.

Haven't we seen this before?

Tuesday's reveal was better, but I wasn't in love with the Jimmy Choo shoes and bags as art in those plexiglass boxes.

I think it would have been much more effective to have the shoes and bags artfully photographed and hung en masse.

2. I think Ross is stealing Jeffrey's thunder. He's clearly more focused and it seems his most important role is keeping Jeffrey in line. The more likable Ross becomes, the less tolerable Jeffrey is. They are the Yin & Yang of MDD.

3. What happened to Nathan Turner? I had such high hopes for him as a little oasis of normalcy in this sea of craziness and he has nearly disappeared from the show! How about they show less Jeffrey learning how to make tarts and show more Nathan Turner ?

4. I find Kathryn Ireland's eccentricities completely charming and I cannot wait for the reveal of the beach house project. I adore Kathryn's cozy and comfortable style!

5. Here's something about Mary. I've been a huge fan of Mary's work for years. I remember the first time I saw her was on HGTV's Kitty Bartholomew show in the 90's. She was less glamorous and more preppy back then, but she had that flair for the dramatic. It was disheartening in the first episode to see her selfish reaction to the news of her client's divorce. The past few episodes haven't been as painful - for me she comes across as quirky rather than cold.

For her office reveal, I think the addition of the French doors and the black paint on the windows and doors was lovely.

I also noticed some similarities between Mary's office that was featured in Domino a few years back and the office space above.

The layout is identical with the placement of the desk, two chairs, two lamps and art wall behind the desk. And what about the black & white photos of the ladies wearing hats as the center of the gallery wall(s)? The white desks with Chinoiserie details? (okay, I like that one too).

Are you following the show? My opinion on the projects and the decorators changes with every episode I watch. What do you think?

Need some help pulling your style together? Kim Lemmon at Yessick's Design Center can make your home a beautiful place to be! Call Kim at 423.653.3186 for more details.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

While fabric searching for some pillows the other day, I came across this pattern, called Cut Paper from Thibaut.

It seems I'm fully entrenched in my new blue & white period.

Cut Paper by Thibaut is available as wallpaper and as fabric, and it comes in several colorways. Although the pattern is big and bold, this calming blue and white palette keeps it from being overwhelming. Stunning as the sole pattern in a room; covering the walls, curtains, upholstery and pillows! I'd love to use it in a dining room, or even a bathroom with white cabinets and white tile.

Has anything new caught your eye lately?

Need some help pulling your style together? Kim Lemmon at Yessick's Design Center can make your home a beautiful place to be! Call Kim at 423.653.3186 for details.